Well, this sketch took a while to do and to get as right as I could, including toning down the color to a bit more natural state. Also, I hope the festoons are shown more accurately, hints of blue, I mean. Most blue is not seen against the belt, but as the festoon stretches into the EZ.

Io was transiting, BA chasing, and the GRS bringing up the rear. Took a good hard look at Io (observation in another thread.) This is the Jupiter obs that night.)

I think I missed the NEB rift, not sure. Just saw a little rifting on the preceding limb with one pretty clear streak. Also, been noting some whiter streaks in the NNTB. Hinted at one in a recent sketch, but they just keep popping up. I suspect it's a contrast play between some darker belts. But, it got seen, it got included.

The light and darker tone interplay in the NEB is not that hard to see. Just hard to nail down exactly what whiff of white is where, exactly. But, that's pretty close. The NEB is certainly not boring these days.

I rarely see the salmon color in the GRS, but last night I got a whiff of it. But, mostly in the lighter northern part of the GRS, the southern still looked rather darker and more gray. Also BA gave up a hint of hue. The trailing spot was not easy nor steady. But, I did manage to see it softly a few times.

Still some undefined contrast down in the south polar regions. And still no sign of those nice white ovals. Gimme a moment of the best seeing when I am in the zone, I know they can be seen.

27 Nov 2012, 1600UT. Seeing 9/10, Trans hard to say...full moon very nearby. Seemed pretty good. According to Ark Sky, Sys I 160 Sys II 168. (Dean, if you read this, does that CM sound right? The GRS is near CM 110, I believe. And I thought the longitude ticked up toward the trailing edge.)

Edit: After posting, I forgot to mention, I thought I saw a small "teet" coming off the front of the GRS. And the STB east and west of Oval BA was more white than the northern sections just south of the SEB.

North is up, preceding is left.

Edit: The limb shading was not correct, it did not show the faded beveled look of the belts. It's still not just right. Toned down Io's presence on the SEB and added Callisto. Also, one tiny tweak to the festoons to get them to look as described above. Tried to give the larger ones the tiniest hint of blue away from the NEB.

Attached Files

That's your best yet. The relative contrast intensities are really well recorded here. what's really grabbing me here is that thin. belt like projection coming out of the grs. That's wild. The festoon color you toned down seems closer to what I've seen in the 8 infact it's perfect. I think its great you caught hints of salmon in the grs I haven't. seen it this year tho I know its there. It used to be very apparent... not red per se but decidedly salmon pink that even showed through a wratten 58.

I'm still captivated with the Io thing that albedo shading could lend a flattened appearance. It'd be wild if this were the case as it'd be something akin to the blunting of the southern cusp on Mercury again an. illusion brought about by contrast. Hal looks great. and agreeswith what I saw in relative intensity.

Again its merely what I saw that I compare it to with my own limitations, floaters and seeing. I like this. piece a lot and the festoons being broader I'd an interesting variation.

Pete, not sure what I really saw there, just something sticking out - faintly and briefly. I think it's that darker belt coming in and under the GRS.

Yea, color for me is very hard in the GRS. Sometimes it shows softly. The lighter northern portion just had the slightest blush to it. The festoons do have a hint of blue out from the belt, a bit darker directly under the belt.

Some images actually show the lighter region in the north. I had been blowing them off as contrast artifacts pinched between the darker belts. It may actually be there. I won't be blowing them off, anymore.

I too am still captivated by Io. That was just one of many stunning, edge of the envelope observations in the last year. And each time you are involved, close on the heals. You like that stuff, I enjoy giving it a shot. Sometimes the outcome is surprising.

Christian, thank you. Time, patients and great seeing allow all those details to emerge. Each is resolvable in a 6" aperture. The contrast difference is a bit challenging, but it can be done, too. I really think I am pulling about all that scope can offer. I simply fell deeply in love the 150 MCT under tropical skies.

Recognizing color contrast, as opposed to actually seeing it in full saturation nor as gray scale took Jupiter to the next level. Not sure what will be the next step deeper into Jupiter, maybe learning to see better into the SPR.

That "monolith" feature following BA can be held steady for a good period of time as a tiny, well defined black spot. Last night it was in and out and not that tight - softer as more often seen.

Frank, no, do you? Do they work for you? And I appreciate your comments, by the way. Thank you.

Well, I have tried them, but that unnatural color drives me batty. Plus the ones I have don't really seem to show more, just changes the color. I just don't like to observe a blue or red-orange Jupiter. Personally, maybe even if I observed a light red oval, it just would not have that raw appeal.

Maybe they deserve another look. What do you think? Better filter set?

But, you know, it's the brightness that helps, I think. Just a hunch, but when Jupiter really settles down and becomes crystal clear...and really does look much like the sketch...it just pops with color and features. In those moments I tend to think of Jupiter as "burning" into the retina. A stunning image is forever burned into your memory. Not in a painful or bright way, but in a way where it really reveals its glorious self. Normally, I get these episodes when the seeing is dead calm and I am really zoned in on the planet.

Normally, when seeing is pretty good, I'll grab a feature here and there and sketch them one by one. I am sure we all do. But in those "burning" moments when you can see the entire disc in full glory, you really just pause and stare in amazement as your jaw hits the ground - right next to your pencil. It's really difficult to remember all the detail and color seen during those moments, what remains is an image "burned" into memory. Those moments are when color really pops.

Those are the moments I try to recreate in the sketch building up an image piece by piece and remembering those glorious moments. I'd be afraid to tone that effect down. But maybe give it a try...

My experience is a little different. I generally can see fainter detail if I subtract some of the brightness. I generally unscrew one filter of the pair and use a single if the transparency makes Jupiter too bright for me. Much of my problem is due to my eyes aging faster than the rest of me. Well actually my biggest problems relate to poor weather and poor seeing.From the looks of your sketches you don't need any help at all.

Norme, I'm at work right now, but I simply have to tell you how incredible this illustration is. My jaw is gaping! The way you have represented the GRS is flat out photographic. The BA is breathtaking. And the detailed variations in the NTB and polar regions are quite intricate. I love the soft striped and "dashed" appearance of the northern border of the NTB toward the trailing limb. Those details are nearly impossible for me to pick up, let alone represent in an observation. Bravo.

Jason, apparently the whole northern NEB is breaking out in a rash of white and gray clouds. They must be getting more prominent, they seems more numerous these days. It's amazing to witness the transformation. Many are very soft.

I am hoping you can observe it, Jason. I really do appreciate your comments on the sketch, it makes the effort that much more rewarding. But, I really love it when others are getting some eyepiece time, as well. A joy shared...

Excellent sketch of the GRS region. Oval BA and the dark spot as well. Lots of detail in the NEB and NTB. The tiny spot on the NTB is cool. Your CM ll coordinates seem right to me but for the GRS, I timed as CM ll 184 approx. The SEB with it's angled light and dark areas is seen. Rifting in the NEB and the dark border on the NTB and NEB is seen. The blue areas on the EQZ and the shadow transit of Io are beautiful.

Got a question, though. We all hear that sky glow does not affect Jupiter observing. With the moon so close over the last few days, I am not so sure this is true. It does seem colors, at least, were a bit more difficult when the moon is nearby. But, it's hard to say, because seeing was also not as good. That could have been the cause. But, the moon light is essentially noise superimposed over Jupiter's signal.